DE Crawford transcript

Here is the entire transcript from a conference call with fifth-round draft pick defensive end Jack Crawford:

Q: Did you know Raiders were interested in you?
A: Yeah, the Raiders were one of the teams I was close to from the beginning, since the Combine. It was good to seem them come through and give me an opportunity like this.

Q: Did they have you out here for a visit?
A: No.

Q: Have you taken a moment to reflect how unlikely this is, given how long and how far you’ve come?
A: It’s crazy. It’s a little emotional right now, everybody is crying. It’s so unlikely. I told myself coming into this situation that I wasn’t going to get upset if I didn’t get drafted. I have come so far already. I am just so happy. This is one of the best days of my life.

Q: Saw you worked out with Tre Thomas. How much did that help you?
A: Yeah. He is just so insightful and he has so much experience. It was good to see things from an offensive tackle’s perspective. It helped me out so much. He told me things that I didn’t know. The small things that you don’t recognize in a game. Helped me mentally a lot.

Q: How soon before you reach out to Stefen Wisniewski and ask about the Raiders?
A: I was just living with Stef Wisniewski at the offseason training up at Penn State. I stayed with him, and I was asking him about the Raiders. He had nothing but good things to say, and now I can be his teammate again. It’s a good feeling.

Q: You had a dip in production your junior year. What happened there?
A: I got hurt. I sprained a ligament in my right foot and it was just hard, because instead of having the surgery, I decided to let it heal a little bit and try and come back. I didn’t give myself enough time to heal up and I could never play up to my full potential.

Q: When did you make the transition in your mind from basketball player to football player?
A: It was the first year I played. Stepping on that football field for the first time, it was a feeling I never had before. I like how it was physical game. I grew up playing rugby and stepping on the football field, there was just a lot more excitement. When I started to get more of a feel for the game, I became more and more intrigued by it.

Q: Did you watch football growing up?
A: A little bit. Not so much. I couldn’t really follow it like you can in America.

Q: Because you haven’t played a lot, do you feel like you have a lot of room to grow?
A: That’s the one thing about me, I always feel like I have room to improve. That’s my mindset. And that’s what’s gotten me to where I am now.

Q: How did you discover football? What was the reason you played for the first time?
A: Just watching a game in high school, it looked fun. I liked the contact, the physical part of it, that’s what brought me over to the sport.

Q: How does a guy go from not playing football to being recruited by Penn State in two years?
A: (Laughs) That’s crazy, man. My high school coach told me, when I stepped on the field, just told me a little bit about the positions I’d be playing, defensive end and wide receiver and then he just told me, on defense, just go get the ball. And that’s what I did for him. Every play I lined up, I took off and try to get back to the running back as much as possible. And one thing I think helped me was just my work ethic. I used to always do the extra part just to try to get better.

Q: What did the Raiders coaches say to you when they got you on the phone?
A: They said, congratulations. They said, We expect you to keep showing us the motor that you showed on the tape. Keep working harder now you’re here because this is about football now; celebrate with your family for tonight and then get ready for mini-camp when it starts because it’s about football.

Q: What were you trying to prove to scouts and coaches through this process?
A: I think the biggest thing I’m trying to show is that, I think physically I’m just as able as any other defensive end in the draft and I think that whatever they need me to do, whatever they want me to do, I’m not going to stop working until I get to that point where they’re satisfied and I’m satisfied with my performance. I really want to bring a lot to the table and I think that I’m happy that I got drafted, but for me this is the beginning. This is where I have to improve myself so I can help the Raiders and hopefully help us win the Super Bowl.

Q: Preparing to not get drafted, what’s this process been like for you?
A: It’s crazy, it’s weird because I don’t know what the coaches think. I don’t know how people rank different players and stuff and I don’t know what different coaches want. I talk to different teams with different rankings and you just never know. So a lot of these mock drafts, I don’t like to look at them, but a lot of them had me going undrafted or sixth round, seventh round, and I just kind of been hoping for the best the whole time, kind of prayed and hoped everything went well. But when I finally got the call, the waiting was hard my while family was here, I had to watch it. But when I got that phone call it was just a relief. Now I really get an opportunity to showcase what I have.

Q: Where are you right now?
A: I’m at my family’s place in New Jersey, my host family, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Q: Did your whole family move to America from England?
A: My real family still lives in London. They still live there and I keep in contact with them, closely. Ever since I’ve lived in America I’ve lived with a host family, like a big Italian family and they treat me like their family, they treat me like real family out there so I feel lucky. I feel blessed to be with them and for them, they support me and treat me like their son.

Q: What’s the name of that family?
A: Dandrea.

Q: You grew up in London, Aresenal supporter?
A: Yeah, yeah (laughs).

Q: Thank you, congratulations.
A: Thank you so much, man.

Steve Corkran

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Criner is a raw talent who was inconsistent throughout his career at Arizona. He was dominant in the Pac-12 at times and used his athleticism and leaping ability to simply make more plays than the man across from him. Criner effectively uses his great size when going for jump balls or when “boxing out” to catch balls in the short game. He shows his athleticism after the catch, displaying an ability to make things happen early in the play, and has the burst to finish them. He needs to learn how to show up every Sunday, but his talent alone legitimizes him as a prospect. He should be one of the first five receivers taken off the board.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS Criner is a lanky but athletic receiver who uses his jumping ability and large catch radius to his advantage when going up for jump balls. He runs crisp routes and is explosive off the line of scrimmage. Criner gets a clean release with ease by using quickness and power, and he understands how to stem his routes to keep cornerbacks off him. He is deceptively agile for such a tall player and is a reliable option in short areas. He can use his lateral agility to make defenders miss and get up the field for yards after the catch. He is a natural who works well against zone defenses and finds his openings and quickly work upfield. Criner has emerged over the past year as the go-to receiver for Arizona, and he has a confidence about his play that allows him to match up against the best.
WEAKNESSES Criner had a tendency throughout his career to disappear from games if he is not heavily involved in the action. At times, his routes can look sloppy. He is a strong blocker but the willingness can slip away from him at times. A medical concern he had before the 2011 season will also be on the minds of scouts.

Plunketthead

MR got banned again so he is stirring up trouble and preparing his new persona. Dont be fooled, remember he can show some intelligence untill the hamster cage starts spinning too fast

95. Tony Bergstrom, OT/G, Utah: B Grade
The Raiders needed help on the offensive line. Tony Bergstrom, who can play multiple positions up front, definitely fits the range. He’s also good for Oakland’s scheme.

129. Miles Burris, DE/OLB, San Diego State: B- Grade
Miles Burris was a fifth-round prospect, but this is close enough to his range. The Raiders lost some pass-rushers in free agency, so they had to find some replacements.

158. Jack Crawford, DE, Penn State: B+ Grade
I had a strong feeling the Raiders would draft Jack Crawford. They really liked him as a fifth-round prospect – this is the exact correct range for him – and as I wrote earlier, they had to find multiple pass-rushers this weekend.

168. Juron Criner, WR, Arizona: A Grade
Juron Criner could have easily been picked on Friday. He was No. 95 on the consensus board. The Raiders don’t really need a receiver, but you can’t go wrong with this sort of value.

189. Christo Bulukidi, DT, Georgia State: D Grade
Georgia State’s first drafted player! The Panthers are coming into Division 1-A, so this is nice for them. However, he’s No. 752 on the consensus board. I don’t know if anyone else would have selected him.

Marks hair

Buliki runs slow, might play inside

aig-raiders

Not impressed with Crawford. Other than a good draft considering our picks. Later gents.

RaidO

Matt Leinart to visit Raiders

boss01

aig-raiders Says:
April 28th, 2012 at 2:11 pm

Boss,

Chaz used to go fight for the ball and Jawalrus even pointed that out too. I would never doubt Chaz’s hands but I know he can never be a reliable Wr due to his injuries.
=================

I agree in 2009-2010 he had good hands, but that was a very small sample size, this year when he got on the field more, he dropped balls almost every game, the one he didnt catch vs the lions killed me. He proved this year he is not a starter, he is a no. 3 at best.

I agree with Walterfootball about the last pick. You can get him after the draft. Again, not the BPA IMO.

RaidO

‏ @AdamSchefter
Free-agent QB Matt Leinart is likely to sign with Raiders this week during visit he has scheduled to Oakland. He would back up Carson Palmer

priesttj

There’s a lot of raw talent still out there this is the time the scouts really earn the bucks. Normally in the 7th rnd Mr D would call around to USC and other schools to see who wasn’t drafted but can play.

That’s what Reggie has to got to get good at. But it’s easy to see some of our old guys were heard in this draft and they can still be a big help to Reggie in FA.

that’s why i’m not worried about DT … we found Desmond Bryant that way.

Plunketthead

Reg has to get good at calling up schools and asking them if they have anyone good?

LOL

Just Fire Baby

Al would have never drafted a WR with 4.6 speed so early, or a ZBS O-lineman who was 26 years old.

Never. He probably would not have even let those guys deliver his newspaper better yet play on his team.

And guys like Christo he definately would have drafted……in the 2nd round a la “Missile” Mike.

Loving the new era.

alzadoX

Terrance Ganaway RB off board. He’s a 6th-7th rounder to me. One of the few guys I watched film of. Spread offense, runs through gaping holes, takes 3 steps to get rolling but big strong and pretty fast, no wiggle,

no instincts, no catch. System manufactured stats. Even as a runner only, Marcel Reece is much more skillful, and of course Reece is a great receiving talent. Needs to learn to be more QB friendly as receiver,

help QB out when he’s in trouble but Knapp will coach him up and he’ll produce big instead of being a flash guy

Kid seems smokin hot to me. I just watched some non-highlight reels on him. He has a high revved motor, sheds double and triple team blockers and still either tackles the RB or knocks down the QB. He’s excellent at disrupting the play even if he doesn’t make the play.

Raider O I love you man but you have got to get over this BPA crap. The scouts and coaches set their board according to their own grades not someone else’s if this draft tells you nothing else you should at least see that.

Marks hair

Trade up for polk

JB

ENGLANDRAIDER Says:
April 28th, 2012 at 1:37 pm

How about that?
We drafted an Englishman and now a Canadian lineman.
***********************

You gotta do what you gotta do in order to expand the Raider Nation Jersey sales internationally.

I agree with Criner, Burris (in my mock draft), and I like the DE from Penn. I also think they were some of the BPA, but I don’t agree with the OG and the 6th round pick. You have your opinions, and I have mine. I don’t have to agree with RM on everything. It’s a fact that GMs and oaches make mistakes.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!
Can’t believe Rose is done. Son of a b*tch!

xraided

Burfict can be signed later.
it’s a whole other position, but look at Blount. everyone knew he could ball, but too much of a problem child. what a great UDFA signing he was for the first TEN, then SF, and eventually the Bucs reaped the benefits.

boss01

Wow, knicks are a complete joke

r8eray

Brewster?

Jean-Baptisie?

Fangupo?

Galippo?

Brett Roy?

priesttj

It’s not my opinion RaiderO I don’t have a clue about the DT I just know he’s an athlete. That’s what you want in fact I might agree with you on players. But I’m not seated in the warroom they are.